Beside The Seaside

Those of you who know me of old, are fully aware that I'm rarely happier than when I'm beside the seaside. Particularly when there are rock pools involved. Today we're off to Lowca beach where marine molluscs and crustaceans await us, plenty of birds on the shoreline, and some interesting plants to observe and maybe eat later on.

Let's start with the molluscs. Collecting seashells is a worldwide hobby, there's even an International Seashell Collectors Club. Most of these are Gastropods, as are the slugs and snails that you find on land. The exception is the mussel which is a bivalve, as are oysters, clams and scallops. These have two half shells joined with a hinge. Besides the mussels, we have limpets who's claim to fame is their teeth (of which they have 100 rows) that are the hardest known biological substance on earth. We also have some Common Periwinkles, Atlantic Dogwhelks and even a little Top Snail.

There are quite a few crab carcases on the tide line too. Despite its deep orange colour this one is known as the European Green Shore Crab, or variations on that name. Here in the UK, for example, we refer to them simply as shore crabs. This is a very invasive species. Native to the European and North African Atlantic coasts, including the North and Baltic Seas, it has now spread as far as the Pacific coast of North America and the coasts of Australia and New Zealand.

As we've been walking along we've had a couple of Sand Martins darting about which have arrived from their overwintering grounds in southern and east Africa. Our friends the Oystercatchers are patrolling the shore line whilst, rootling about on the tide line is a Ringed Plover with his distinctive bright orange legs. There's a small stream running down ont the beach where a Common Sandpiper is investigating. You can tell that ity's a Common Sandpiper because the white breast feathers extend all the way up to the shoulder. We also have a Rock Pipit, obligingly standing on a rock, and in the hinterland behind us, a Linnet is surveying the ground from his vantage point atop a woody shrub.

Looking behind us, there is a great swathe of greenery which will be very pretty later in the year as it is all Japanese Rose. Unfortunately, this is another of those invasive species, which you may remember, we discussed up the coast at Siddick Ponds, earlier in the year. There are also some edible plants down here. There is Rock Samphire growing on the back wall (not to be confused with Marsh Samphire which is entirely different). For my thoughts on the edibility of Rock samphire see Snakeless in Sisi. We also have some Sea Kale. The blanched shoots of these were a Victorian delicacy and one of the most expensive vegetables around at the time. The leaves are also edible but they are very strong in flavour, to the point of being almost unpalatable in the case of the larger leaves. The smaller leaves can be cooked the same as you would for curly kale. Despite their names, Sea kale is more closely related to cabbage and chard than to Curly kale.

It looks like Jack has found a Sea Slater and isn't quite sure what to do with it. These are common inhabitants of the littoral zone (the beach and the hinterland behind it) and, as you can see, it looks like a woodlouse, to which it is closely related. The term louse is a misnomer as they are not lice at all (which are insects) but isopods which are a type of crustacean, the same as crabs and lobsters. (Woodlice and Sea Slaters are covered in pages 56-57 of The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies)

That about wraps it up for today. Oh, I do love to be beside the seaside.

See you next week

Steve

#CumbriaNature

Steve's Books

The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies All you need to know to identify any type of insect, spider, worm or snail very simply and find out more about it. Yvonne: This was a gift for a family so that the children can understand what they see on days out. The second was for me. Logical and easy to use. If you know anyone who likes nature you can be confident that gifting this book will give years of pleasure.
The Eggs of Saramova A science fiction novella for those who don't like science fiction. A fast-paced thriller that is, literally, out of this world (and it starts right here in Crete). Too new for reviews yet!	£7.50 Paperback edition
Not Just For Twisted Women by Steve Daniels  A light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex. Janet: If you are short on time but enjoy reading and are maybe not into long extended novels then Not Just For... Twisted Women provides readers with concise stories that stand alone and most certainly entertain with their ultimate twists. Loved it. Helen: A very good read! Well written and entertaining! Margaret: Each quick tale gives a glimpse into a character's life and has an often humorous twist at the end. I would love to read more. Yvonne: These days many people find it hard to find the time to read a novel, so this book of short stories is ideal to dip into. It is also makes a good gift.	£4.99 Paperback edition

See sample pages of all my books and latest blogs, and keep abreast of latest publications here: http://author.to/SteveDaniels

Crete Nature Catch-up
Series 1 - Welcome to Lasithi	Series 2 - The Rhythm Of Life	Series 3 - A Journey Begins
Series 4 - The Milonas Valley	Series 5 - This Is Ferma	Series 6 - Upland Villages
Series 7 - The Forty saints	Series 8 - Sunday Strolls	Series 9 -Stormy Weather

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Wonderful Wintery Whitehaven

 

We're not walking far today, just around Whitehaven Harbour, as Jack the Navigator Hound is recovering from a minor op..

  “You wouldn't call it a minor op. If you'd had one of your boll..”

“OK, so maybe not such a minor op. from your point of view but the point is, Jack, your fans will want to know why you're not bounding round the fells as usual.”

Which is why we're wandering around Whitehaven, hoping to see the odd dolphin or porpoise. The sea is dead calm, which would be good for spotting if there were anything out there... but there isn't. We do have plenty of birds though, Gulls, Oystercatchers, Swans, Geese, Jackdaws and even a Cormorant. And here on the quayside, rooting around in the debris, a Rock Pipit, Anthus petrosus. These are predominantly coastal birds, related to the wagtails in the family Motacilladae.

One of the problems with bird identification is that they don't come out of the egg looking like the pictures in the bird book. Take these Herring Gulls, Larus argentatus, for example. In their first winter, they are mainly brown and heavily streaked. This one is in his second winter: his head and underparts are beginning to whiten and he's starting to turn grey. Next year he'll look almost adult but he'll still have a few brown feathers in his wings and dark markings on his bill rather than the red spot of the adult. Swans are similar. We all know the song about the ugly duckling with his feathers all stubby and brown, who turns out not to be a duckling at all, but a cygnet who turns into a beautiful swan. The reason, of course, is protective camouflage. It doesn't pay to advertise when you're young.

The last time Britain was invaded was in 1778. I bring this up because it happened right here where we're standing. It was an American invasion, but not a particularly successful one. Led by one Commander John Paul Jones, he was after the 400 British merchant ships which were anchored here, but totally misjudging the currents, a one hour lighting raid in two rowing boats turned into a six hour marathon and one of the boats turned back when the sailors 'heard a noise'. Jones did manage to set fire to the southern fort and the subsequent conflagration engulfed the entire town.

More recently, in the mid 1800s, this castle-like structure was built, along with that tall chimney-looking object, affectionately known as The Candlestick. The 'castle' was the entrance lodge to Wellington coal pit and 'The Candlestick' was a ventilation shaft. There was a major mining disaster here in 1910 when methane ignited and 132 lives were lost, a consequence of which was the invention, by Humphrey Davey, of the safety lamp, which was tested here.

Back to natural history and I see that the Feral Pigeon still holds sway in Whitehaven, repulsing the invasion of the Collared Dove with true Cumbrian grit. Down on the harbour wall, however, an invader from the far east has claimed a roothold. This is Buddleja davidii, the well know butterfly bush, which is now classified as an invasive species in the UK.

News From The Old Cornmill

Just a few miles downriver from the Cornmill another river, The Marron, joins The Derwent. I went out there at first light yesterday and found a scene of absolute peace and tranquility. Just me, the river, a robin and a blue tit. You can keep up with all my sporadic wanderings and more by visiting my website at Steve's Nature Plus.

Steve's Books

The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies All you need to know to identify any type of insect, spider, worm or snail very simply and find out more about it. Yvonne: This was a gift for a family so that the children can understand what they see on days out. The second was for me. Logical and easy to use. If you know anyone who likes nature you can be confident that gifting this book will give years of pleasure.
The Eggs of Saramova A science fiction novella for those who don't like science fiction. A fast-paced thriller that is, literally, out of this world (and it starts right here in Crete). Now available in paperback priced £7.50
Not Just For Twisted Women by Steve Daniels  A light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex. Janet: If you are short on time but enjoy reading and are maybe not into long extended novels then Not Just For... Twisted Women provides readers with concise stories that stand alone and most certainly entertain with their ultimate twists. Loved it. Helen: A very good read! Well written and entertaining! Margaret: Each quick tale gives a glimpse into a character's life and has an often humorous twist at the end. I would love to read more. Yvonne: These days many people find it hard to find the time to read a novel, so this book of short stories is ideal to dip into. It is also makes a good gift.	Paperback £4.99